Core Viewpoint - Ford and General Motors have outperformed Tesla in Q2 vehicle sales, with Tesla experiencing a 13% decline due to weaker demand and political issues surrounding Elon Musk [1] Q2 & H1 Auto Sales - Ford's Q2 vehicle sales increased by 14% year over year to 612,095 units, leading to a total of 1.113 million units sold in H1, a 6% increase from H1 2024 [3] - GM's Q2 vehicle sales rose by 7% to 746,588 units, with H1 sales totaling 1.4 million units, an 11% increase [4] EV Expansion - GM's EV sales surged by 111% to 46,280 units in Q2, making Chevrolet the best-selling EV brand during the quarter [5] - Ford's hybrid vehicle sales increased by 6% to 82,886 units, although pure EV sales dropped over 30% [6] Stock Performance & Valuation Comparison - Ford's stock rose by 18% in 2025, outperforming the S&P 500's 5% and the Zacks Automotive-Domestic Market's 2% [7] - GM's stock is down 1%, while Tesla has seen declines of over 20% [7] - Over the past three years, GM's stock gained over 60%, while Ford's stock only increased by 4% [8] - GM stock trades at 5X forward earnings, while Ford trades at 10X, below the industry average of 11X and the S&P 500's 23X [9] Dividend Comparison - Ford offers an annual dividend yield of 5.29%, while GM's yield is 1.15% [11] Bottom Line - Both Ford and GM have shown strong Q2 sales, leading to a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) for both companies, indicating potential long-term value for shareholders [12][15]

Industry Overview - The U.S. Energy Department reported a lower-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies, with stockpiles rising by 110 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended May 9, compared to analysts' expectations of 111 Bcf [2] - Total natural gas stocks reached 2,255 Bcf, which is 375 Bcf (14.3%) below the 2024 level but 57 Bcf (2.6%) higher than the five-year average [3] - Natural gas futures fell about 12% during the week, ending at $3.343/MMBtu, the lowest in two weeks, due to mild weather leading to subdued demand [4] Company Focus - **Expand Energy (EXE)**: The largest natural gas producer in the U.S. after the Chesapeake-Southwestern merger, with significant assets in the Haynesville and Marcellus basins. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 earnings per share indicates a 458.2% year-over-year surge, with an 18.7% increase in estimates over the past 60 days [7][8] - **Coterra Energy (CTRA)**: An independent upstream operator with a focus on natural gas, owning approximately 183,000 net acres in the Marcellus Shale. The expected earnings per share growth rate for Coterra is 20.3% over three to five years, compared to the industry's 17.8% [9][10] - **Excelerate Energy (EE)**: Specializes in LNG infrastructure and services, representing 20% of the global Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs) fleet. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 earnings per share indicates a 10.2% year-over-year growth [11][12]